Opinios on long rods vs short rods on boats.

What's your opinion on using say an 11ft rod vs 6ft rod fishing in 30fow? Would the 11ft detect more or less?
Both would be Ultra-lite type rods of course. I haven't used a long rod for crappie yet but I have for distance/surf casting.

Personally, I prefer a shorter rod below the boat jigging not really caring about the depth, but longer to reach into brush piles.

The shortest jigging rod I own is 10'. I like the long rods no matter the depth of water. I'd try an 11' outlaw crappie/walleye rod matched with a phluger 3620 or 3625 spinning reel with 12# power pro line.

i try to carry both if your dippin a tree line the tree might only be 2 or 3 ft away from boat pretty hard to dip that tree with that outlaw which by thge way is a great rod for that tree that is 10 ft away imo

I did jig exclusively with long rods for a long time. The past few years I've started doing more winter/deep water brush pile fishing (20-30'). I started out the first year or 2 using a long rod because I only jigged with long rods. I recently switch to an ESP 5'6" ultra light with 10# braid it is NIGHT and DAY difference. The long rod always seemed to be a pain trying to fish vertically when using a graph or with 2 people on the bow. You can't see your jig unless you stand 10' away from the screen. I was stubborn to switch to the short rod but it made my life a lot easier and my catch rate went up! The ESP has tremendous feel perfect for that application.

Now I still use a long rod in the spring and summer dipping trees and shoreline brush. I've owned about 8 different ones. All around best IMO is Ozark Crappie Rod 11' rear reel seat. A buddy has a couple Outlaw rods and he complains constantly about them. He would always borrow one of my Ozarks when we went now he owns 2 Ozarks. The Ozark rods are light and have a very strong backbone for pulling big slabs out of brush. I've landed many large catfish, LM bass, and wipers on them as well. There was times I thought I was surely going to break a rod on one of those big cats going under the boat but have yet to break one. They also have a solid stainless tip which is real nice to reach down and pop a snagged jig off with. Other rods with inserts the inserts will pop out when doing that.

You can order both ESP and Ozark from grizzlyjig.com

You can always move the boAt further away if your to close, but you can't always reach into the middle with a short rod. I much prefer long rods. 9-12ft long. Plus I don't have to push my partner out of the way to reach what's he is fishing. If I'm to close I can walk to the back of the boat and still jig it. I won't say you feel it any better with a long rod but I don't have to throw my shoulder out on the hook set either. Just wrist it and the tip moves a long ways. Personnel choice only of course. Fish what you have faith in and it makes a huge difference. But never be afraid to try something different no matter what Anybody else thinks

For fishing standing timber, dipping trees fishing in skinny water I use a long rod. I have a number of these from outlaw to ozark. I really have no preference both fish well. For fishing below the boat vertical jigging I us G lomis rods light action one is 7 ft the other 6'6' do know the numbers but just great rods strong, sensitive, I also use these when casting to the banks hunting fish in the spring and summer. Yes expensive but well worth the money.

if i am going to stick a rod 5 or 6 ft back in a gnarly old laydown then i get out 1 of my 10 ft cherokee's know i might need some backbone there hopefully??

What no buddy using cane poles.

I use a bamboo pole for a push stick does that count.

Ok so lately I've been trying to see which rod would work better, granted the rods were not rigged the same. I have been landing more fish with the long rod.

If I'm laying out over my trolling motor, I grab the Popeil. :crazy:

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The whole purpose of long rods in my opinion is getting the bait as far away from the boat as possible in shallower water (15ft or less). So if your fishing deep water I would opt for the shorter rod, as stated in the above posts, a shorter rod allows you to work the bait in the cone of your graph. I fish with 9ft rods in deep water just because they are limber and make me feel like I have a monster with every fish. Plus my long rods all have small baitcasters so it would take a month of Sundays to reel up 30ft of line. But if you are fishing shallow water, a long rod will allow you to get more bites and land fish faster without having to reel up any line, all you have to do is set the hook and lift the fish in the boat. When you have to reel most anglers have a tendency to drop the rod tip at first which will give the fish slack and lose your momentum from the hookset. In shallow water it is a great advantage to present your bait before your boat or shadow is over the fish. Their is definitely a learning curve with long rods but do not get frustrated, I have yet to meet someone that once they have become proficient with a long rod wanted to go back to a short rod.

what labs said

12 foot is the way to go!!!!

imo some goods info passed or down butt a rod a reel a jig there is a time and place for all of em if i am in boat and working tree line that one good stickup is 5 ft from boat don't want a 12 footer if out there 10 ft i use 11 or 12 footer just me???

Shortest rod I use anymore in a 10 footer for jigging. Even at that length when I'm sitting in my fishing seat and holding the rod at my side the the tip is only a couple feet from my trolling motor and can still see my jig on the graph.

Blackdog. 7' is a short rod IMHO

Yes but that black gl3 is so sweet. light sensitive a fish breaths on it and it is in the boat. Loomis nothing better just do it

I use 7ft for mid depth and deep water. 10 1/2 for shallow stuff.

Welp, my testing is over. My 11ft BnM rod flew out of the boat coming home from the lake.

Ouch. Sounds like my luck

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ragnar

Ouch. Sounds like my luck

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You don't need a pole ragnar, you got yo ax.:ThumbsUp

Didn't know you have seen how I clean them!!!

I been debating on a loomis imx or glx for my boat jigging rod. Can someone explain the diff between mag light and light? 5 4 or 6 foot rods. The mag light looks like it has a lot more back bone. I thought it'd be the lughter of the two.

I use a GL3 light action 7 ft love it fish all day not get tired. Slim rod the fishes tough have landed large flatheads and channels up to 30lbs.